Chapter 6 Question No. 3

Some contend that secretly recording conversations or activities, even when the acts recorded occur in a public space, is a violation of privacy. State and defend your position on the matter.

This is a controversial topic. I believe that people should not be recorded without their own consent unless the person(s) are deemed dangerous or participating in illegal activity and that person(s) could somehow harm others. As I read the question I thought right away that it should in no way be allowed but as I thought more about it, I started to think about different scenarios a person might be in where it is hard to say if it should be allowed or not. The book gives an example of when Rodney King, an African American, was beaten by police officers in Los Angeles. The police officers had no idea they were being taped but the person recording the event knew that what the police were doing was wrong and went ahead and taped it. This was important because it: "gave the entire U.S. population a window into the simmering racial tensions of the second-largest city in the country" (175). This gave proof and merit to the people who had been complaining about being mistreated for decades. People could actually see the mistreatment with their own eyes. There are many other situations that a person could use to argue that people should be allowed to record conversations or activities but the question is whether I feel that it is a violation of privacy. It took me awhile to really consider both sides but I feel that it is simply not right to record someone without their knowledge unless someone is dangerous or in danger (as I stated earlier). I believe that if a person feels the need to record an important meeting or event than the other people that are participating should be made aware that they are being recorded. Some people say or do things "off the record" or discuss things that are deeply private that the person(s) is/are the only ones the message or action is intended for.

According to Digital Law Media Research: "If you plan to record telephone calls or in-person conversations (including by recording video that captures sound), you should be aware that there are federal and state wiretapping laws that may limit your ability to do so. These laws not only expose you to the risk of criminal prosecution, but also potentially give an injured party a civil claim for money damages against you." I am not saying that my view is the way the law works but I want to stress that I believe it a violation of privacy. Even though this was not an easy topic to decide on, I believe that this would bring more harm than good.